Intuitive Eating Check-ins
mommamuscles
Posts: 584 Member
I just wanted to give an update on kind of where I am in this whole process, and would love to hear how you all are working through this.
I know that some of us will go through this and realize logging food is not a big deal, while there are others of us (ahem, myself) who really do need to let it go.
But this is where I am at…
I have basically decided that I am done tracking. I may log in my food once or twice a week just to see where I am at with my macros, calories, etc. after a bit but right now that’s not really something that I am worrying about. Right now I am truly focused away from macros, calories, and weight/fat loss. I am really just focusing away from that. My focus is instead on listening to my body. Im not labeling foods as “good” and “bad”. I needed to log my food for about a year and a half, so that I could really get a handle on that. Im not recommending that everyone quit logging, and if you are coming from a history of VLCD, I really believe its important you log for some time so that you can recognize what it feels like to feed your body what it needs. But after you have abandoned the idea that you can "go back if it doesnt work out", at some point in the journey I think its a worthwhile endeavor.
Here are some "benchmarks" that I think could point to a readiness to log:
1. You have forever abandoned the thought of returning to a very low calorie diet.
2. You have been consistently eating to properly fuel your body (not less than 20% below your TDEE) for about 3-6 months minimum
3. You don't skip meals.
4. You feel hungry after a few hours of eating.
5. You no longer experience the signs of metabolic damage: hair loss, constantly cold, not ever hungry ("I feel perfectly satisfied on my 800 calorie diet"), constantly low energy, dizziness. Also you should generally see a stabilization of your weight while eating an adequate number of calories (weight gain while in a deficit may be a sign that your body has gone into starvation mode)
Just my non-professional opinion of course!
So what I decided to do is just quit cold turkey. Im not even focusing really on eating for my macros right now, I’m just eating what I want, what I truly want (more on this below). I plan on sticking to this for at least the next 30 days. Im still eating about every 4-5 hours, trying to eat a combination of protein, carbs and fat at each meal, but those are my only guidelines. That combination could be a chicken salad or pizza.After that I may log a few days to make sure I’m on the right track, but that’s something that for RIGHT NOW, I feel like could derail my progress.
I also know that over the past year and a half (ish) I have come a long way. I know when Im eating enough and when I’m not. I know what it looks like to properly fuel my body. My metabolism has normalized. I get hungry. I have built a pretty good awareness of what foods do to my body, and have a decent understanding of nutrition.
I know that this is going to be full of some ups and downs as I get used to this, so I do appreciate you all listening to me!
A few things I have noticed:
1. I do catch myself from time to time saying, “Oh I shouldn’t eat that”…which seems to be immediately followed by some urge to eat more of something than I really need. It seems that telling myself I shouldn’t have something leads me to want more of it (duh).
2. Ice cream has always been a big “trigger food” for me which I have long ago outlawed from ever being kept in the house because I didn’t trust myself with it. I really do love ice cream though!!! If I wanted some I would go get a pint of Ben and Jerrys if I had the calories and eat the whole pint. I never wanted to keep leftovers. I decided just to keep it in the house this week as a kind of experiment. When I ran out, I went and got more. I haven’t binged on it all week which is pretty awesome.
3. There are times I crave (and eat)things I have for a long time labeled as ”unhealthy” (buttered popcorn last night!) but I if I really listen to my body I also crave things like salad, roasted brussel sprouts, and chicken breast too.
4. I feel much less stressed. I have much more time to give to my house, my husband, my God, my kids, etc. I think about other things.
I know that some of us will go through this and realize logging food is not a big deal, while there are others of us (ahem, myself) who really do need to let it go.
But this is where I am at…
I have basically decided that I am done tracking. I may log in my food once or twice a week just to see where I am at with my macros, calories, etc. after a bit but right now that’s not really something that I am worrying about. Right now I am truly focused away from macros, calories, and weight/fat loss. I am really just focusing away from that. My focus is instead on listening to my body. Im not labeling foods as “good” and “bad”. I needed to log my food for about a year and a half, so that I could really get a handle on that. Im not recommending that everyone quit logging, and if you are coming from a history of VLCD, I really believe its important you log for some time so that you can recognize what it feels like to feed your body what it needs. But after you have abandoned the idea that you can "go back if it doesnt work out", at some point in the journey I think its a worthwhile endeavor.
Here are some "benchmarks" that I think could point to a readiness to log:
1. You have forever abandoned the thought of returning to a very low calorie diet.
2. You have been consistently eating to properly fuel your body (not less than 20% below your TDEE) for about 3-6 months minimum
3. You don't skip meals.
4. You feel hungry after a few hours of eating.
5. You no longer experience the signs of metabolic damage: hair loss, constantly cold, not ever hungry ("I feel perfectly satisfied on my 800 calorie diet"), constantly low energy, dizziness. Also you should generally see a stabilization of your weight while eating an adequate number of calories (weight gain while in a deficit may be a sign that your body has gone into starvation mode)
Just my non-professional opinion of course!
So what I decided to do is just quit cold turkey. Im not even focusing really on eating for my macros right now, I’m just eating what I want, what I truly want (more on this below). I plan on sticking to this for at least the next 30 days. Im still eating about every 4-5 hours, trying to eat a combination of protein, carbs and fat at each meal, but those are my only guidelines. That combination could be a chicken salad or pizza.After that I may log a few days to make sure I’m on the right track, but that’s something that for RIGHT NOW, I feel like could derail my progress.
I also know that over the past year and a half (ish) I have come a long way. I know when Im eating enough and when I’m not. I know what it looks like to properly fuel my body. My metabolism has normalized. I get hungry. I have built a pretty good awareness of what foods do to my body, and have a decent understanding of nutrition.
I know that this is going to be full of some ups and downs as I get used to this, so I do appreciate you all listening to me!
A few things I have noticed:
1. I do catch myself from time to time saying, “Oh I shouldn’t eat that”…which seems to be immediately followed by some urge to eat more of something than I really need. It seems that telling myself I shouldn’t have something leads me to want more of it (duh).
2. Ice cream has always been a big “trigger food” for me which I have long ago outlawed from ever being kept in the house because I didn’t trust myself with it. I really do love ice cream though!!! If I wanted some I would go get a pint of Ben and Jerrys if I had the calories and eat the whole pint. I never wanted to keep leftovers. I decided just to keep it in the house this week as a kind of experiment. When I ran out, I went and got more. I haven’t binged on it all week which is pretty awesome.
3. There are times I crave (and eat)things I have for a long time labeled as ”unhealthy” (buttered popcorn last night!) but I if I really listen to my body I also crave things like salad, roasted brussel sprouts, and chicken breast too.
4. I feel much less stressed. I have much more time to give to my house, my husband, my God, my kids, etc. I think about other things.
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Replies
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That is awesome! I love that you kept ice cream in the house and didn't binge! Way to stop those food police right in their tracks. That's the chapter I' m reading now . . . I didn't realize how much I've vilified carbs. I've been trying to really listen to my hunger signals and more or less eat when I'm hungry, trying to stop when I'm full. Most evenings, I don't finish my dinner - I'm just done eating. I used to clean the plate every night. I work three night shifts a week and usually bring a few snacks (almonds, turkey pepperoni, the occasional protein bar) and I would go hungry rather than throw my macros off. Last night I decided to have the packet of oatmeal I was craving. And I haven't been as ravenous as I usually am on Fridays. Hmmm . . . there is definitely a lot to learn from my body and hunger signals. Plus I would obsess over my macros, convinced if I ate over a certain amount a carbs I would absolutely gain weight.
I'm going to take off my Body Media Fit after work tonight and go technology free until Monday. I'm going to track just to make sure I eat enough protein to support my lean body mass this weekend. And I'm going to resolve to stay off the scale until my official weigh in day next Thursday, instead of the daily weigh ins I torture myself with. I want to keep it simple, eating simple foods and not obsessing over every little calorie and macro.0 -
Becca, I think it's so awesome how far you've come! I can't imagine having a trigger food in the house and not binging. I have tried on occasion, and sometimes it works. But most of the time it doesn't. But I'll either rearrange all my other calories to make room for the binge...or...as recent as a few nights ago, purge. Though that is not even close to something I do regularly anymore.
Right now, I'm getting used to seeing higher numbers when I log. Not really high, but higher. I have found, just this week, actually, that ever since I put myself on basically a food schedule, I eat right on schedule, whether I'm hungry or not. Today, I didn't do that. Instead of having my "second lunch" at 2, at 2:30 I had a bag of Special K chips ( a serving bag, not the bag in the box lol), and that's what I needed for the afternoon today. I'm allowing my "regular" meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - to be more normal portions. I used to only allow myself 100-250 calories per meal because I was terrified of wanting something later and going over. But now, I'm trying to eat enough. Not to stuff myself but eat enough.
I'm in a different spot than probably a lot of others here. I need to eat intuitively, but I need to let my body tell me rather than tell my body when I need to eat.
I noticed this morning, for the first time, I woke up starving, and I think that's a sign that maybe, just maybe, my body's metabolism is getting back on track.0 -
Here are some "benchmarks" that I think could point to a readiness to log:
1. You have forever abandoned the thought of returning to a very low calorie diet.
2. You have been consistently eating to properly fuel your body (not less than 20% below your TDEE) for about 3-6 months minimum
3. You don't skip meals.
4. You feel hungry after a few hours of eating.
5. You no longer experience the signs of metabolic damage: hair loss, constantly cold, not ever hungry ("I feel perfectly satisfied on my 800 calorie diet"), constantly low energy, dizziness. Also you should generally see a stabilization of your weight while eating an adequate number of calories (weight gain while in a deficit may be a sign that your body has gone into starvation mode)
Just my non-professional opinion of course!0 -
Did you mean this to say "a readiness to NOT log"?
I have not gotten far into the book. I read before bed, and I keep dozing off! But am really enjoying not logging! I look forward to meal preparation more since I don't need to have my iPod Touch and calculator in hand scanning everything I am about to eat. It makes mealtime much more relaxing.
My weight was up a little this morning, but I just started TOM, so I believe that's the reason. I have been loosely following my 3-Day Diet menu plan, but I hope to be able to still eat wisely (intuitively) when I stop following it. It does take more will power than I have shown before to listen to my body rather than my cravings when it is not hunger, but I hope it becomes easier as I exert it more.
If I notice the scale trending upward a lot, I may need to go back to tracking. For me it would be because I am eating too much! Fortunately, I have never struggled with under-eating. I plan to try and watch my portion control when not logging and be conscious of when I am full. I don't always NEED that 2nd bowl of ice cream (my weakness, too).
Laura0 -
How do I reply right under the quote? I can't figure this out.0
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Congrats on the ice cream experiment. =D
I haven't received my book yet. In the meantime, I've been reading Made to Crave (inserting my own intuitive asterisks). I found it interesting when that author tells about her last supper. She has pizza and licks the plate clean all while knowing she couldn't have it again. And I thought, that's not right, there shouldn't be off-limits based foods because that only leads to more problems. How can you write off pizza for the rest of your life? Really?
I find myself more mindful of my hunger cues toward the end of this week. I'm still logging and have made an effort to not have other people dictate my eating patterns, times and quantities. I am doing what works for me, in a more intuitive manner.0 -
Did you mean this to say "a readiness to NOT log"?
I have not gotten far into the book. I read before bed, and I keep dozing off! But am really enjoying not logging! I look forward to meal preparation more since I don't need to have my iPod Touch and calculator in hand scanning everything I am about to eat. It makes mealtime much more relaxing.
My weight was up a little this morning, but I just started TOM, so I believe that's the reason. I have been loosely following my 3-Day Diet menu plan, but I hope to be able to still eat wisely (intuitively) when I stop following it. It does take more will power than I have shown before to listen to my body rather than my cravings when it is not hunger, but I hope it becomes easier as I exert it more.
If I notice the scale trending upward a lot, I may need to go back to tracking. For me it would be because I am eating too much! Fortunately, I have never struggled with under-eating. I plan to try and watch my portion control when not logging and be conscious of when I am full. I don't always NEED that 2nd bowl of ice cream (my weakness, too).
Laura
Yes that's what I meant! Guess my mind was working faster than my fingers!!! Oh and those are just my thoughts. Again I'm , not a professional...lol0 -
Congrats on the ice cream experiment. =D
I haven't received my book yet. In the meantime, I've been reading Made to Crave (inserting my own intuitive asterisks). I found it interesting when that author tells about her last supper. She has pizza and licks the plate clean all while knowing she couldn't have it again. And I thought, that's not right, there shouldn't be off-limits based foods because that only leads to more problems. How can you write off pizza for the rest of your life? Really?
I find myself more mindful of my hunger cues toward the end of this week. I'm still logging and have made an effort to not have other people dictate my eating patterns, times and quantities. I am doing what works for me, in a more intuitive manner.
I think that's great and you're absolutely right. We all need to find what is going to make us feel balanced. I think that probably looks different for each one of us! As long as you are eating to fuel your body and living healthfully I think that's all that matters.
I did enjoy the book made to crave. I did however pick up on a bit of a diet mentality. Seems like she had some off limits foods if I can recall? Which to me just seems to perpetuate the cycle! We have to be able to live and enjoy the pleasure of different social situations without feeling guilty every time we eat something we want! Also I don't really think food choices are a moral choice! I kind of understood what she was saying, but that's just my spin on it.0 -
I am enjoying the book so far. I like that nothing is off limits (since so many people seem to put limits on what you can eat). I allow myself a little naughty all the time so that I don't end up going overboard. My protein bars are helping with that too.
Had a bad lunch, but when you look at it objectively, it wasn't the worst. It is a rest day (didn't have to work at the cat shelter today), so I made myself get up and go out ... otherwise I would've ended up watching Doctor Who for hours and not gotten anything done.
I find if I am craving something that I assess if it is a true craving (maybe there has been something missing in my diet), if it is a comfort thing (emotions out of control), PMS, or if I am just bored. Today it is PMS. I had a little dessert. I gave away the free chips I had gotten from a store opening (didn't know they were in the goodie bag) because otherwise I would've ended up eating them because they were there, not because I really wanted them.
Since I have stopped living on junk food, I don't like it that much anymore. I used to love Cheetos and potato chips... now I am like "meh". I still love my cereal though and will only buy it in the single serve packages (except for Chex which I won't go overboard on). It is all about finding the balance for yourself. Eventually I will be able to have a box of Cap'n Crunch in my house and not eat it in one day. Not yet, but eventually.
I am slowly healing my relationship with food. I still log, because it is keeping me on track, but I don't obsess about going over calories or being a little under. Slowly I will get there (especially with being able to say no to an amazing huge 1200 calorie dessert last night since I wasn't hungry). Still amazed by that personally.
Thank you again for sharing this book
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I find if I am craving something that I assess if it is a true craving (maybe there has been something missing in my diet), if it is a comfort thing (emotions out of control), PMS, or if I am just bored. Today it is PMS. I had a little dessert. I gave away the free chips I had gotten from a store opening (didn't know they were in the goodie bag) because otherwise I would've ended up eating them because they were there, not because I really wanted them.
This is really great. I REALLY wish i would have thought about this stuff earlier. I am having a hard day today, basically been snacking on carbs all day long. Ew.Trying not to label today as a"bad" day but I really feel like I messed up! Freaking out a little that I an making a really stupid choice by undertaking this! Scared I'll gain back all my weight and all that. Ack!!! I did not do a good job listening to my body. I was catching myself thinking about calories and such this morning. Oh well. Tomorrow is a chance to do things a bit differently. I know there were a few things I can point to that probably played into this-skipping breakfast because we were so rushed this morning.0 -
Rule #1 in my book is to stop beating yourself up for "bad" moments. The more I beat myself up over something, the more I eat, ....it's a vicious cycle. Instead I try to look into what is going on and why I did something. I am not perfect at it yet by any means, but forgiving myself for eating mistakes and assessing why has been helping a lot.
I keep protein bars on hand for a quick breakfast on the go (or for when I am being lazy) since that is where my downfall begins on weekends. I tend to eat too little then and my body responds on Monday wanting me to eat all the vending machine food. Since I expend so much energy on Sundays (and some Saturdays), if I don't eat enough my body goes into full cravings mode.0 -
Hows everyone doing?
I'll be posting our next challenge for the coming week over the weekend, but just wanted to check in and see how everyone's doing?
I had a week full of ups and downs. I've kind of been feeling like I bit off more than I could chew right now with all of this.
I firmly believe that there is some great, great life-changing stuff in this book. But with that being said, it is a process and you have to look at it that way. We are not going to really be able to work through these challenges in a week, or even a month. I came to a point this week where I was just completely overwhelmed by it all. I had told myself 30 days no logging, for better or worse. I decided to come back to it this week. Im trying not to look at it like I failed or anything, I just felt like this was not the greatest time to undertake this. Not logging was causing me far more stress than logging.
Also, I'm just a few weeks away from my powerlifting meet, and staying on top of the nutrition, has got to be a priority for me right now, Im not trying to cut weight or anything, but just the same I do need my weight to be pretty stable right now.I definitely don't want to have to go UP a weight class. LOL. I'm having a hard enough time with all the water retention I'm dealing with from creatine/low reps.
I do plan on continuing to work through the challenges. I'm just kind of calling a peace treaty of sorts right now because I was getting really, really overwhelmed, freaking out that I was going to gain all my weight back, etc. My long term goal is to get away from logging food, but I just don't think I'm there yet. Instead, I plan on logging when I feel like it and not logging when I don't. Hoping to take a few days off logging each week and ease myself into this instead of forcing something that I'm not ready for.
I have also been trying to introduce some of my trigger foods back into the house and give myself permission to eat them, as much as I truly want. I've kept the ice cream freezer stocked for a few weeks now, and I do believe that it is losing its appeal! I have also been doing more baking than usual and for the most part, its been fine. I am kind of taking a break from all this as well. I'm being plenty challenged right now, and I really don't want to overwhelm myself!
Well thats kind of where I'm at...how about yall?0 -
I'm so glad that I found this group, and I hope that it stays active!
One of my fears of stopping tracking is that I will no longer log on to MFP, where I have lots of supportive friends. If I'm no longer tracking my food, then what's the point of MFP?
The answer to that question can now be: my friends, AND this group!
I'm still tracking right now, but I'm on my way toward intuitive eating and will probably stop tracking within a month. I'm ready to let go of it.
I have a history of disordered eating and food addiction... and I want to let that stuff go, once and for all. i think that the best way to do that will be to stop worrying about calories, and to start just listening to my body and following the principles of IE.0 -
I hope this group stays active too! I can understand wanting to log and calorie count but I have been fighting the urge. I want to start trusting my body and see where this leads me. I reached that point that the authors talk abut where I just cannot go on another diet. I'm almost 38, went on my first diet at 15, and it's been an up and down roller coaster ever since. I have assigned so many foods as good or bad that the way I've been eating has been too restrictive. I've been wondering why I've been in such a food rut lately (no desire to meal plan or cook) and I realized it's because it has become too much work! Low oil, low carb, low salt, no gluten, blah blah blah. Enough!
I am making my way through the book and for the past few days I've been eating when hungry and what I'm in the mood for, and so far, so good!. I though that giving myself permission to eat freely would make me crawl into a bag of chips (my former bingeing vehicle of choice) and never come out, but that has not happened! I have given myself full permission to eat the chips, and yet, because I've been eating regularly and fueling my body, I haven't WANTED them. It is so strange to me that now that no food is off limits, I am not craving ALL THE THINGS, as I used to! I baked cookies for a friend last night, gave myself permission to eat as many as I wanted, but I truly only wanted one. (And they did not keep calling to me later on,which is what usually happens).
Looking forward to participating in this group! So glad I came across it. 0 -
I'm so glad that I found this group, and I hope that it stays active!
One of my fears of stopping tracking is that I will no longer log on to MFP, where I have lots of supportive friends. If I'm no longer tracking my food, then what's the point of MFP?
The answer to that question can now be: my friends, AND this group!
I'm still tracking right now, but I'm on my way toward intuitive eating and will probably stop tracking within a month. I'm ready to let go of it.
I have a history of disordered eating and food addiction... and I want to let that stuff go, once and for all. i think that the best way to do that will be to stop worrying about calories, and to start just listening to my body and following the principles of IE.
I feel exactly the same way! I need to have like minded people in my life to keep me moving forward 0 -
I hope this group stays active too! I can understand wanting to log and calorie count but I have been fighting the urge. I want to start trusting my body and see where this leads me. I reached that point that the authors talk abut where I just cannot go on another diet. I'm almost 38, went on my first diet at 15, and it's been an up and down roller coaster ever since. I have assigned so many foods as good or bad that the way I've been eating has been too restrictive. I've been wondering why I've been in such a food rut lately (no desire to meal plan or cook) and I realized it's because it has become too much work! Low oil, low carb, low salt, no gluten, blah blah blah. Enough!
I am making my way through the book and for the past few days I've been eating when hungry and what I'm in the mood for, and so far, so good!. I though that giving myself permission to eat freely would make me crawl into a bag of chips (my former bingeing vehicle of choice) and never come out, but that has not happened! I have given myself full permission to eat the chips, and yet, because I've been eating regularly and fueling my body, I haven't WANTED them. It is so strange to me that now that no food is off limits, I am not craving ALL THE THINGS, as I used to! I baked cookies for a friend last night, gave myself permission to eat as many as I wanted, but I truly only wanted one. (And they did not keep calling to me later on,which is what usually happens).
Looking forward to participating in this group! So glad I came across it.
Im having the same experience! For me its bread and all its relatives-cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, etc. I have had this complex about carbs for several months now but I am just letting it go and its been amazing. I am able to bless my family with homemade whole wheat bread and cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning and i havent binged on them. it feels so good. Also I've kept ice cream in the house for weeks now with no problems. Never ever in my wildest dreams did I think I would be okay with having two huge tubs of ice cream in the house.There are even nights I havent wanted any.0 -
I hope this group stays active too! I can understand wanting to log and calorie count but I have been fighting the urge. I want to start trusting my body and see where this leads me. I reached that point that the authors talk abut where I just cannot go on another diet. I'm almost 38, went on my first diet at 15, and it's been an up and down roller coaster ever since. I have assigned so many foods as good or bad that the way I've been eating has been too restrictive. I've been wondering why I've been in such a food rut lately (no desire to meal plan or cook) and I realized it's because it has become too much work! Low oil, low carb, low salt, no gluten, blah blah blah. Enough!
I am making my way through the book and for the past few days I've been eating when hungry and what I'm in the mood for, and so far, so good!. I though that giving myself permission to eat freely would make me crawl into a bag of chips (my former bingeing vehicle of choice) and never come out, but that has not happened! I have given myself full permission to eat the chips, and yet, because I've been eating regularly and fueling my body, I haven't WANTED them. It is so strange to me that now that no food is off limits, I am not craving ALL THE THINGS, as I used to! I baked cookies for a friend last night, gave myself permission to eat as many as I wanted, but I truly only wanted one. (And they did not keep calling to me later on,which is what usually happens).
Looking forward to participating in this group! So glad I came across it.
Im having the same experience! For me its bread and all its relatives-cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, etc. I have had this complex about carbs for several months now but I am just letting it go and its been amazing. I am able to bless my family with homemade whole wheat bread and cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning and i havent binged on them. it feels so good. Also I've kept ice cream in the house for weeks now with no problems. Never ever in my wildest dreams did I think I would be okay with having two huge tubs of ice cream in the house.There are even nights I havent wanted any.
Yes! I made pumpkin pancakes for my boys and ate with them - something I would not have done before. I am really loving this feeling of normalcy. It's pretty awesome. 0 -
Today, this morning, after my typical breakfast, I was craving something. I didn't know what. But my protein and calorie-filled breakfast wasn't cutting it. I needed something.
I saw the peanut butter in the pantry.
I had two spoonfuls.
And was very satiated. It was just what I needed!0 -
Awesomeness.Today, this morning, after my typical breakfast, I was craving something. I didn't know what. But my protein and calorie-filled breakfast wasn't cutting it. I needed something.
I saw the peanut butter in the pantry.
I had two spoonfuls.
And was very satiated. It was just what I needed!0 -
Hi everyone! I'm very happy to have found this group. I've been practicing intuitve eating on and off for a couple of years now. As a result, I don't yo yo in weight loss and gain, but I have not lost weight, and I could be a bit fitter. I joined MFP to track and acheive my fitness goals (i.e., stickign to a fitness routing, not dieting). The logging of calories though just makes me rebel after a week or two and want to stop dieting and binge. I have been able to manage this a bit, and have decided to no longer log in my calories, since I am totally within the normal eating range anyway. Logging and tracking calories just makes me feel restricted and brings about craziness on my part. This weekend, I didn't work out for 2 days, even though I only wanted to take one rest day. One blessing I have realized about intuitive eating is that dieting is ridiculous and jsut makes me crazy and unhappy.
I am trying to be kind, friendly and understanding to myself, as I would be to a girlfriend. Part of that is being mindful of what I am eating adn whether or not I am hungry or enjoynig my food.
I see many of you refer to a book, could you tell me which one you are reading? I got intereted in intuitive eating based on the Paul McKenna book/ hypnosis system "I can make you thin." I have also downloaded the ebook of "Have your cake and skinny jeans too."
Take care,
Amanda0 -
The book we are reading is
http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-Revolutionary-Program-Works/dp/03123212360 -
The book we are reading is
http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-Revolutionary-Program-Works/dp/0312321236
Thank you!0 -
Hi all,
So, I got the book and am reading it. It's been very helpful, so thank you for the suggestion. Previously, I've read Paul McKenna's "I can make you thin" which outlines the principles of intuitive eating, but this book offers so many more suggestions for dealing with specific issues. I'm definately an emotional eater, and I'll also eat without hunger when I'm bored, or especially at parties after a few drinks.
The logging in to MFP definately made me binge-y, so I stopped that altogether. I spent a week eating a bunch of junk food (mostly potato chips) when I wasn't hungry and I felt pretty crummy about myself. After renewing my desire to be free of dieting, controlling myself with food, controlling my emotions with food, and generally feeling like I was punishing myself for being a human being (I seem to punish and reward myself with food), I was ready to recommit to Intuitive Eating. That said, I was surprised by so many of the examples of diet thinking the book provided- I was not aware of how much I was judging my food (clearly represented in bingeing on potato chips first thing when I was feeling down).
In the past, I've gotten tired and overwhelmed by the hyperconscious way I eat when starting out again with IE. Not dsitracting by eating while reading or watching video clips, etc. Focusing on the flavors and savoring bites for some reason was annoying after awhile. However, I know that I must get through this phase, and the fact that the book references this as a stage people go through when starting out with IE was extremely helpful.
I didn't overeat today, but I did nosh on some things when I wasn't particularly hungry. During lunch, I did the mid-meal check-in and it was very intereting. I also ntoiced when the food was less tasty and when I naturally kind of exhaled when I was already done with the meal intuitively. After an hour or two, I was neutral and ate a few bites of my remaining lunch and had a few chocolates for a dessert. I'm not giving myself a hard time, just noticing that I did it.
I'm meeting a friend for ice cream and dinner tonight, but I'm not feeling particularly hungry yet and we're meeting in 2 hours. I'll just see what I'm in the mood for when we meet up. I might just get a cocktail or have a bite or two of the ice cream and really savor it if I'm not hungry by then.
Thanks for setting up this group!0 -
I have been logging my food for so long, i don't know how to not do it. if i don't for a day (because i give myself permission to not track on the weekends-paying attention to IE), i get nervous and go back and track. i don't like it, but it makes me anxious. so, i have to start slowly in not logging my food. but, once i get the IE down and don't need to follow a meal plan, i will probably be more relaxed.
What i find strange, for me, is that i log my food and drink, but i pay NO attention to any patterns. it's like once i have done logging, i don't want to know what the pattern is. does that mean i shouldn't be logging? that's what it seems like to me. but all the things i read say that journaling is what helps wake up the brain to what is going on and to make changes. it TERRIFIES me to think that i won't log my food/drinks one of these days. that would mean i trust my body. can i do that after so many years of not trusting it?0 -
Honestly I don't know. I am not sure how successful I am at intuitive eating. I really love the idea of it, and I would really love to get there but I run into alot of road blocks. I eat too much at times, and at other times I eat too little. I also think I probably don't get in enough protein to support my goals. For now, I've kind of gone back to it although I think I will take 1-2 days a week "unplugged" because mentally, I really need that break.
I will admit, I don't really trust myself. I have come a long way with listening to my hunger/fullness signals, but I haven't really gotten to the point where I choose the right kinds of foods when I don't track. Then again, sometimes I have the same problem when I do track. LOL.
Off days are bound to happen, and if you are logging or not, its important to look at those off days and ask yourself what happened. Being overtired, overtraining, stress, emotions, etc...those are all circumstances that are going to mess with our ability to eat intuitively (and well). Logging is not an insurance policy against having bad days, nor is it a reason to allow food and calorie counting to take over your life. I think its all about balance and the right perspective. When it becomes stressing, its time to back away. Ultimately I feel like you should log if you want to and feel like it, and have the right perspective towards it-one that is geared towards properly fueling and not towards restriction.
HOWEVER. I think if you are training for any kind of an athletic event (race, competition, etc.) I think occasional (or more frequent) logging is important, not because of any kind of restriction, but to make sure you are getting in enough macro and micronutrients to be able to support your training.
RIght now, as I'm getting ready for a powerlifting meet, I will definitely be logging my food so that my training doesn't suffer as a result of not getting in enough protein. The last meet I prepared for I really did alot of going back and forth with logging/not logging. As much as I would love to give up logging, I know that this is not really the time for me to undertake this challenge!0 -
i am doing pretty good with this process. still have a ways to go, but i am noticing a LOT less focus on food througout the day. i eat when i am hungry or @ scheduled meal time. really don't eat any other time, especially when it would be for an emotional reason. i am still sort of hung up on the weight thing, but that i very slowly going to not being any interest to me.0
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doing okay. not really paying attention. i guess i am doing well, since i am not as focused on my weight or the # on the scale. i am getting more exercise, but not pushing myself past my comfort zone or desire to exercise.0
